Hey Guys! So this was mostly inspired by Emily and Stephen's 10 year age gap and mostly on Felicity sass (which I pretty much live for). There will probably only be two parts, three depending on things, not quite sure yet. Anyways, enjoy the story and thank you for reading!
As per usual, Arrow characters are not mine!
Title: Fallen For Your Eyes (But They Don't Know Me Yet)
Rating: T, some corse language, adult situations
Pairing: Oliver Queen X Felicity Smoak
Summary: Irresponsible, pleasure-seeking Prince Oliver Queen, and smart witted Princess Felicity Smoak are thrust into an impromptu marriage for the good of their kingdoms. But Felicity loves another, and feels nothing for the dashing prince of the Kingdom of the stars- right?
Fallen For Your Eyes (But they don't know me yet)
Part I
The world seemed to whirl uncontrollably behind the eyelids of Oliver Queen as he roused from a deep slumber in a very prickly, very ill-smelling dwelling that was most decidedly not his castle chambers.
He opened one eye, wincing at the sharp pain that etched at his temples when a contrastingly cheery ray of sunlight pierced his unwilling eyes. His unaccommodating pupils latched together in downright protest to a renewed day of torture- or as his mother was fond of calling it- his Princely duties.
Eyes still reluctant to surrender the refuge provided by hibernation, Oliver ran a hand through his dusky, momentarily unkept blonde hair.
Slightly rolling over on his side- he was quite nearly startled to death when he realized, not exactly in grand surprise, that he was not alone in the malodorous quarters. He inhaled deeply catching the scent of her perfume intertwined with the stench of- horses?
Oliver's features scrunched up at the bordering unpleasant waft and internally prayed that it was not who he thought it was. He silently hoped that there was another servant who wore the icky lilac-vanilla concoction.
Though his prayers rang loud and desperate, they were to no avail, for when he cautiously opened his eyes, they were met with a set of smug chocolate brown ones. He couldn't help but groan and sink deeper into the bundle of hay
Edith
"Good morning, my prince" she purred, snuggling closer into his shoulder, the strands of dry hay in her raven hair pricking his face. How literally had he taken his midnight declaration of 'hitting the hay' las nightfall he thought, thoroughly annoyed with himself. Knowing Edith quite well, the perquisite of alcohol for him to wake up in her bed, using the term utterly lightly, was enormous. His floundering attempts to remember the night before and his palpitating head told him that- his filling that perquisite was not unlikely.
The smile he directed at the clinging castle attendant was nothing but strained, his royal smile- he liked to call it
"Edith" he choked out, his eyes immediately roaming the stable in search for a passage out.
"Oh, I had an incline you would come around Ollie" the slight wince the endearment caused did not go unnoticed by Edith
"I can call you Ollie- can I not?" she rose to her elbows in order to see his face at a better angle, her eyebrows furrowed as if addressing the prince so informally was the most common thing.
"we will soon be married and-"
"Edith" he ground out, his harsh headache doing nothing for his patience towards the girl.
"we will not be married" the words more like a sigh, he rubbed his eyes vigorously at the mess, the two day stubble prickling his palms- his mother would have a mood if she were to see him so informally attired. The thought almost made him groan- how would he get inside the castle without being discovered? His mother was already on edge from his last.. mistake.
"I'm sorry- I know not why you were inclined to think so but-"
"You said so- in your sleep"
at that he had to let out a laugh
"Edith, be sure that it was the alcohol speaking" his eyes were swimming with humor at his supposed declaration, not even having gone mad would his thoughts be so inclined as to suggest- marriage
"I surly will not be married anytime soon" he snorted, 'especially to a castle attendant' he though, his mother would surely fall dead.
"In any case, I do not remember a thing and I should really be going-"
he felt her small fingers tracing a path up his leg "Then I will help you to remember" she whispered into his ear, aiming at seduction but falling relatively flat, her mischievous digits continued their trek towards a very indecent area that he did not want her rousing.
He quickly gripped her wrist to prevent their reaching the intended destination, he stood abruptly and gathered his sheath from across the barn
"you should also take your leave Edith, they will be looking for you in the Kitchen" he looked down at her pouty face and cursed himself for bedding her again, the first few times were pleasant enough but her talk of marriage should have acted as a severe repellant- shielding him from any further contact.
Apparently shields are of no use to inebriated princes.
'vital information to the Kingdom of the coast, for sure' he chuckled as he snuck out from the barn contemplating the best route to avoid his mother's quibbling.
every 'clack' his boots made when they hit down on the marble floors made him wince, waiting to hear his mothers voice at any second.
instead of his mother's elegantly disapproving tone, he heard a younger, more sarcastic voice from behind him.
"The barns? how classy"
"Good morning to you too, Thea" he said, turning to not show his back to his sister and taking a bow, addressing her formally, his voice returning her sarcasm.
"Mother is looking for you" she said shaking her neatly groomed head as if lamenting his upcoming execution. Both their faces contorted at what the statement implied
"Pleasure knowing you, Ollie" she smiled at him fondly and turned to leave, her skirts swishing as she strode towards the gardens.
He looked after his sister, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. His eyes cautiously scanned the room for any signs of his mother, satisfied that there was none he turned towards the stairs but before his boot even hit the first step towards his chambers he felt her behind him
"Oliver, Walter and I need to discuss something with you" his shoulders slumped at being discovered, his eyes closed in foresight 'shit'
"Good morning, Mother" he properly addressed her and waited for her sermon on how a prince should dress or why a prince shouldn't be sleeping with the servants- which after this morning, he found to be a good idea.
It didn't come, instead she turned motioning for him to accompany her and out of curiosity- he followed
they reached the throne room where Walter was awaiting their arrival, hearing them approach he looked up and greeted the Queen and the Prince
"Your grace"
"who died?" Oliver joked, trying to diffuse the tension in the lavishly decorated room.
Walter looked at the Queen for permission to proceed, she tilted her head in acknowledgement
"as you have surely heard, the kingdom of the coast is growing unruly- they do not seem to believe in our alliance"
he nodded uninterested and not quite sure what this foreign relations business had to do with him. Walter gauged his reaction cautiously before he proceeded, hoping he would catch on
"It would be of great reassurance that a royal wedding take place, permanently uniting our kingdoms"
Oliver's eyes darted from his mother to her advisor
"Mother?" he inquired, still not quite understanding why they were telling him this.
"as you know, my reign is limited, the Queen of a deceased king can only rule for a short period, it is the law that the crown soon pass to you, Oliver. You have had your amusement- too much amusement, some might say. It is time you settle down- " she paused to look at him sternly, a mother addressing her son
"I have let many indiscretions slide, Oliver, but after your father's death- I need you to be what this kingdom needs- And they need a king"
Moira Queen straightened the crown propped on her neatly coiffed hair and look at her son with a serene expression on her royal features
"you will wed princess Felicity Smoak of the kingdom of the coast" she stated, a Queen addressing her subject.
Both her and Walter's eyes were latched onto Oliver, awaiting his reaction. Oliver said nothing, only looked at them with an unreadable expression.
"What is she like?" he asked, intrigued to know who he would be spending the rest of his life with, willingly or not.
Walter's audible relief almost made him chuckle, sure he was no good at serious matters- but after his fathers death it was only a matter of time before he would need to step up as the rightful ruler- he knew that, he was well aware that he was past 'marrying age' and needed to find his Queen
God, even in his head it was a terrible pun
His mother gave him a small smile "she is young, only of eighteen summers, but it is said she is quite beautiful, the most beautiful of the seven kingdoms"
"eighteen summers mother? She is but a child! Surely not to be married yet, she is the same age as Thea" he was surprised at his mothers declaration, it was not unheard of that kings take young brides but he was easily ten years older than his future Queen. Would she even know what was happening? what marrying implied? how to be a queen? he did not know why, but the thought of such a young girl being forced into marriage pulled at his heart.
"she is of age, Oliver. Not as 'experienced' as the women you...frequent, but she will make a fine Queen, the union will secure our alliance." He nodded slowly, accepting his fate
"we leave tomorrow morning to meet with the Queen and the princess of the kingdom of the coast"
he nodded swiftly, taking the situation as a sacrifice for his kingdom- it's what father would have wanted.
"And Oliver?" The Queen called after her retreating son
"yes, mother?"
"Try to look and smell better when you meet your future bride"
"Are you sure it will work?" Felicity asked from her seat on her plush armchair
"Work? no, it will not merely work, it will revolutionize the entire kingdom!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms out to dramatize his declaration, knocking down a piece of metal off the contraption in the process. A neatly sculpted eyebrow rose at his self-assured statement and a giggle escaped her rosy lips at his clumsy-ness. He was like her in that aspect, he was like her in many aspects. And she liked that about him- she didn't feel out of place with him, her babbling and clumsy-ness was not appalling to him- they would only laugh together
"What did you say it was for again?" she inquired, remembering little other than how his eyes sparkled when he explained his silly gadgets. Barry's hands stopped working on his intricate contraption to smile at the beautiful princess
"you mean to tell me, your grace, that my extensive description was not heard by the princess?" her smile grew wider as he teased her and her heart began beating out of pace, fluttering like a bird under the mosaic beading of her corset.
"Can't say that it was, Sir Barry Allen"
"and what- If I may ask, held the princess' attention?"
"Oh that is something I-"
"Felicity?" her mothers voice called out from behind her door- which was closed, with a boy inside her room.
"uh, yes mother?" she replied, motioning for Barry to do something with himself that wasn't standing there motionless- something helpful, like hiding himself. Unfortunately, her room was hiding proof, for safety reasons that she was usually thankful for, but now, only assured her mother wrath.
"Jump out of the window!" she whispered towards him, motioning towards the large window behind him. His eyes bugged out of his face
"I will not jump out of the window! I will surly fall to my death!" she rolled her eyes at her friend
"Coward" she mumbled as the Queen let herself into her room.
Her face was unreadable as she gazed over at Barry. Like the Queen she was, she merely ignored his presence and addressed her daughter.
"Felicity, there is something I must speak to you about" Felicity looked between her Mother and Barry, who looked blue from holding his breath, as if that was going to help anything- he had already been seen in her room.
"Of corse, mother"
With one last look at Barry's stunned frame she followed the Queen to the gardens, where they sat under a lovely tree that swayed with the breeze of the early morning.
"Felicity, you are a smart girl, you understand your duty as a royal in this kingdom, don't you my sweet?"
Her mothers eyes were serious but she could make out a hint of affection towards her in the blue pools of elegance
she only nodded
"our alliance with the kingdom of the stars is delicate- our people do not believe in their promise of peace-" as her mother had remarked, Felicity was a smart girl, she knew exactly where this was going and it made her heart sink to her stomach
"but Barry- I was hoping that we would..." She said, her blue eyes pleading her mother to somehow find an alternative than marrying her off to an old and boring royal
"I know what you were hoping Felicity-but it will not be so, a princess has not the luxury of choosing who she weds"
Felicity's eyes misted over with frustrated tears, it was not fair, she would have to spend the rest if her life with a total stranger!
"You will marry Oliver Queen, prince of the kingdom of the stars"
she sat there motionless, thinking of Barry's silly smile and wondering how she was going to tell him
"you will be his Queen"